Diploma

approach in psychotherapy, as well as by the Swiss Charta Organization for Psychotherapy

in the Czech Republic recognised by the federation of psychotherapists;

in Romania recognised by the Ministry of Education

inquiries to bring it into an APA or Ph.D. program in the future

Curriculum for training in psychotherapy

What is „existential analysis“ (and „logotherapy“)?

Short description

Existential analysis (and its subdivision logotherapy) is an approach in psychotherapy. It combines a great respect for a person’s individual life choices with therapeutically effective means. Its phenomenological approach one allows to take all possible aspects of an individual’s experience into consideration.

Grounded originally in the anthropological concepts of Viktor Frankl, today its main theoretical conceptualization consists of a more practically and methodologically applicable anthropology.

This assumes that the person is moved in his/her life by four fundamental motivations, the first of which is his need to be able to accept the basic conditions of his life, the second comprising the need to feel values and to have relationships, the third the quest to find one’s identity and the fourth to achieve something meaningful in the world. The theoretical concepts of these fundamental motivations provide the necessary framework to situate and treat all kinds of psychological problems.

This concept is unique to the approach taught by the GLE-International.

A little more extensive description

Existential analysis was conceived by Viktor E. Frankl in the 1930s as an anthropological theory of an existential school of psychotherapy. At the same time Frankl developed “Logotherapy” as a meaning-oriented form of counseling and treatment.

Existential analysis means an analysis of the conditions necessary for a life in which values have their place and that is self-shaped and dignified.

The aim of existential analysis is to develop one’s perceptiveness and individual activity (capability for devotion) in one’s experiences, relations and actions. This means that existential analysis deals with the personal conditions prerequisite for a meaningful existence in cases where these are blocked by psychological illnesses or troubles.

Existential Analysis can be defined as a phenomenological and person-oriented psychotherapy, with the aim of guiding a person to a free experience of his or her mental and emotional life, to make authentic decisions and to discover a truly responsible way of dealing with life and the world.

Its theoretical and practical basis is the concept of the fundamental motivations (Längle) which are systematically referred to in counseling and therapy as the “building blocks of existence”. In addition, the method of “Personal Existential Analysis” is used in therapy. This represents an existential and phenomenological method of psychotherapy which makes it possible to treat psychogenetic (particularly neurotic) troubles with existential analysis as a depth psychology. This form of existential analysis was developed in the GLE and is exclusively taught there.

The concepts of the GLE constitute an elaboration of Frankl’s approach and, in particular, include work on emotions and biography. This is especially important since the existential analytical and logotherapeutical anthropology sees humans as beings who constantly shape their lives with conscious or unconscious decisions. But decisions can only be taken in a meaningful way, if the values in question are sensed, experienced and weighed against each other. This act requires perceptiveness as far as the world around is concerned instead of self-absorption. Furthermore, this is only possible if one has access to one’ s emotions which bring a person in touch with his or her values.

Existential analysis does not see a person as the mere result of inner psychological processes or of the influences of his environment, but as someone who can shape him/herself in those things that count in life. Therefore notions like being (existence), relation (values), freedom of decision, responsibility (conscience) form the fundamental concepts of the existential analytical way of thinking and they all lead to the idea of “meaning” (= logos).

The practical application of logotherapy as a meaning-oriented form of counseling and treatment consists primarily in assisting people who are not (yet) ill, but who suffer from a sense of loss of existential orientation. Thus logotherapy is widely applicable in psychological, psychohygienic, social, preventive, caring, educational and pastoral fields. It contributes to the prophylaxis of neuroses and to the prevention and treatment of feelings of meaninglessness and emptiness (“existential vacuum”).

Its aim is to enhance the individual experience of meaning by leading to a freely chosen responsibility (“individual responsibility”).

Existential analysis and logotherapy consist of roughly a dozen specific methods and techniques to realize this conception.

Admission requirements

Persons possessing a master’s or doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology, social work, medicine, or a related field are encouraged to apply for admission to the full training program.

For the counseling diploma teachers, theologians and persons with other professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply. A personal interview is required for all applicants.

Admission procedure

a) Formal criteria

Successful completion of

an application interview

a two day self-awareness seminar

b) Content criteria

These criteria serve the GLE as a basis for the decision concerning entrance permission or rejection of the candidate:

a well-founded and reasoned interest in psychotherapeutic work;

a demonstrable interest in the existential method of psychotherapy; interest in an existential understanding of the human being; previous knowledge of EA (LT);

a personality which is free from any hindering or disturbing psychological illness, a personality which is able to cope with the pressures of a training course which takes several years and includes self awareness and subsequently working with psychologically ill people;

the ability for sufficient critical reflection, flexibility in dialogue, empathy for the discussion partner and a feeling for one’s own motivation (preliminary stage to the basic phenomenological position), openness to emotionality, ability to see reason, self critical distance to one’s own beliefs and values;

the personality should be sufficiently developed and mature in order to cope with burdening, critical and painful situations, “mature” means to be aware of one’s own emotions and able to bear them;

ability and willingness to deal with life in a creative manner without regressive or aggressive fixation

experiences which brought insight into the depths of human existence and resulted in healthy coping strategies

The participation in the training course occurs at one’s own risk. Claims for the improvement of one’s own psychological, psychosomatic or somatic state or the worsening of one’s own psychic, psychosomatic or somatic state will not be acknowledged by GLE-International, the ISEAP or by the individual instructors. The responsibility for these states rests with the trainee.

Structure and duration of the seminars

The courses are divided into two parts:

a) This Basic Training Program consists of 7 seminar blocks of 6 consecutive days each (42 + 2 admission days) over 2 years leading to the Basic Existential Counseling Diploma. Instruction topics include the theory of personhood, the theory of existence, existential motivations in theory and practice, some general methods and group-self-experience.

b) Training for the Full Existential Psychotherapy Diploma continues for almost 2 more years (6 blocks of 6 days each) with further seminars on clinical theory (psychopathology, etiology), practice, methods, practical training and group self-experience.

Additional Elements of the Training

In addition to the seminars both diplomas require:

a) One individual admissions interview and 2 admission days at the beginning of the group

d) Practical work: for the counseling diploma at least 200 hours own practical work; for Full Existential Psychotherapy Diploma a practicum of 500 hours (e.g. as a guest in a psychiatric clinic) and at least 600 hours of own practice (in public or private locations).

The participation in two congresses (of the GLE or similar psychotherapeutic conferences), as well as the participation in the events of the GLE academy or similar seminars (min. 4 days) is mandatory.

OVERVIEW OF THE TRAINING COURSE

Training objectives

The basic training centers thematically on the transmission of existential analytical anthropology and coping with existential borderline situations and crises (the teaching of meaning and existence). It deals with the questions of human nature and personhood. It also deals with existential motivation and the effects and symptoms of existential failure.

The transmission of content is parallel to the development of self awareness in personality and the understanding of existence.

The development of personality has three main points:

the ability for personal inner dialogue (self distance and detection of primary emotionality) and being able to spread it outwardly (trust, self transcendence).

the improvement of personal integration skills: acquiring the ability to set the outbreak of emotionality in relation to one’s own substance of life and one’s own positions. A fluid transmission from impressions to a position and expression. Realizing, understanding and possibly correcting conscious or unconscious personal positions and behavioral patterns.

learning the phenomenological basic positions and training the perception of one’s own or someone else’s emotionality, motivation, values and fixation of behaviour.

The goal of personal understanding of existence, besides personality development, is to comprehend the process and possibilities of biographic existence.

The practical relevance of the basic training for the profession is in the area of prevention, providing help in life, intervention in crises, psychotherapeutic support and problems of motivation.

In terms of content the second part of the training, the clinical part, has the objective of transmitting an understanding of diagnosis, psychogenesis, psychopathology and phenomenology of clinical disturbances, nosology and individual therapeutic pictures.

In the area of self awareness this part also deals with detection, realization and working with the relevant parts, using the clinical pictures, of their phenomenology and psychodynamics.

The self awareness and the reflection on distortions, as they come to light in the clinical pictures, should lead to a deeper understanding of anthropological and existential basic concepts from an existential analytical point of view.

The third part (supervisional part) deals with the grounding of one’s own work and the personal adaptation of the existential analysis. This part is not so much concerned with learning new ideas but with the training and consolidation through interaction and feedback. The participation in scientific events of the GLE is supposed to generate familiarity with new developments. The active participation in these developments should also be stimulated.

Methods of training

The contents will be reached, for the most part, by self awareness (inductive) and completed through lectures and discussions using illustrations of cases. The self aware interaction of personal experiences, coping behavior and points of view concerning the theoretical content generates a special plasticity and promotes a personal, emotional access.

Conversations in large and a small group settings, individual talks with the instructors and supervisors of the practical work, as well as constant lectures on the subject literature and their discussion are the means by which the interaction in the training takes place. The training for the psychotherapeutic dealings takes place in via group processes and through the forms of interaction mentioned above, as well as role playing, therapy vignettes and illustration of cases.

The entire duration of training is accompanied by individual conversations. These talks serve as a means to reach basic existential, biographic questions, as well as the reappraisal of personal applications of the seminar contents and group processes. They also serve as a reappraisal of the resulting questions and problems (existential self awareness), as well as the review of issues which are not fitting for the group situation.

Training regulations

The following booklet is the foundation of the contract for the training course.

1. Mandatory attendance

In order to graduate, the regular, active participation in all training events is mandatory. Should a participant miss more than two single days in a training year, s/he must make up for the unattended units in other courses.

2. The completion of the first part

It is necessary to take two written exams which take several hours on the basic concepts of existential analysis (and logotherapy), in order to complete the first part of the training (criteria for success: at least 85% of the questions; repetitions are possible but have a fee). The participants receive a confirmation of the successful participation in the basic course.

3. The second part

After the successful completion of the basic training and a minimum of 30 hours of individual experience the instructors will grant the permission for existential analytical consultation or treatment of existential and motivational problems under supervision. At the end of the second part it is necessary to take a several hour long, written exam on the clinical and methodological areas using case examples (“practical exam”) (criteria for success: at least 85% of the questions and 75% of the cases must be correct).

4. Practicum (only for full training program)

The practicum can be completed in all psychosocial organizations in the form of honorary or paid work (employment). The objective is to receive personal experience in the direct dealing with psychologically ill people. The supervision of the practicum (30 hours) can be done by the authorized teachers of the GLE and should be subject specific, if possible. The participation in team supervision can also be credited for this purpose.

5. The third part: “Therapeutic supervision stage”

The supervision takes place in small groups (of approximately 7 persons) and in individual meetings. To complete the (clinical) supervision stage the following requirements have to be met:

a) a successfully completed practicum

b) successful completion of the 2nd training part (exam);

c) continuous, individual self experience with confirmation of the authorization to practice therapy under supervision.

For the successful completion of the supervision a minimum of 150 hours of individual and group supervision must be completed in addition to the formal criteria:

* the multiple supervision of 5 therapy proceedings (at least 5 times, average of 7 times and a final supervision);

* 5 supervisions of themes

The therapy proceedings are to be prepared in a written form for every supervision and summed up and handed in at the end. The writings are to include a summary of the therapy proceedings, the supervision, the diagnosis, (DSM IV), the psychopathology and a critical reflection of the proceedings.

The supervision of themes concern the setting, the therapeutic relationship, the leading of the dialogue, the beginning/ending/termination of therapy, overview of therapy, critical situations during therapy, application of methods, techniques, diagnosis and psychopathology.

The individual supervisions are to be attested by the supervisor in the study book. For the successful completion of the supervision stage the following content criteria are demanded. They will be discussed with the training team at the end of the training and must be confirmed by the supervisors.

ability to develop and reflect on the therapeutic relationship;

existential, clinical and psychopathological diagnosis;

Knowledge and experience of specific diagnoses and specific personality psychotherapy

ability to conduct and follow through with therapeutic events

realizing and dealing appropriately with one’s own limitations and competences as well as the competence to transfer

The supervision stage may not exceed 7 years, in order to guarantee that the practice is completed in a realistic connection to theory/self experience. If an interruption due to serious reasons is necessary, the participant must settle the necessary requirements for the transition time with the instructors.

6. Self experience (a total minimum of 295 hours)

On the one hand, self experience occurs during the seminars as existential group self experience (approximately 245 hours) in the large and the small group. On the other hand, it also occurs as an accompanied individual self experience (minimum of 50 hours). Continuous individual conversations with an instructor who is authorized by the GLE are required. In the beginning these talks can be done with various instructors. The advantage to this is that the student gets to know various styles of conversation. The main part of the conversations is to be completed with an instructor who decides when the objectives of the individual self experience have been obtained. S/he has the duty to attest the individual conversations in the study book.

In order to successfully complete the group self experience the student must reflect and describe his/her own personality development in the group at the end of the seminar. The group and the instructor will comment on this reflection. During this process the development of the individual’s personality and a flexible and comprehensible way of dealing with himself and the group should become evident. Otherwise the student is required to visit other self experience groups or the amount of hours in individual self experience will be raised.

The main criteria for the completion of the individual self experience is a free and careful dealing with the self, which consists of a critical self distance and good self acceptance. The work in the following areas leads to these characteristics:

completion of the conversations through reviewing, working with ongoing themes, reflecting one the relationship to the instructor

7. Final paper

In order to receive the diploma, a final, 30 page (1.5 spacing) paper is required. The student is free to choose the topic, but it must be cleared with the instructors. The topic can be theoretical, practical or both. The paper should follow this outline: area of inquiry, illustration of the problem from existential analytical primary and secondary literature, dealing with the topic and a critical discussion, short summary, bibliography of the literature that has been used.

The paper must be written in such a manner that it is suitable for publication. The paper will be examined by two instructors. Two copies of the approved paper are to be sent to the library of the GLE. There they can be viewed and borrowed by the library users. Approved papers will be mentioned in the journal EXISTENTIAL ANALYSIS. The GLE has the right to publicize papers or parts of papers under the name of the author.

8. Graduation procedures

If all the formal and content criteria of the training regulations have been completed (parts 1-7) the candidate receives his graduation diploma from the GLE. In this document the successful graduation is confirmed.

As proof of the completed requirements the candidate must hand in his study book with all of the received attestations, which was handed out at the beginning of the training. In a final discussion with the candidate the instructors involved will confirm the content criteria mentioned above.

9. Withdrawing from training

The training can be interrupted or quit by the candidate at any time. There are no further financial obligations to the candidate, except for the payment of already consumed training offers. If the interruption takes a long time, it may be necessary to require further obligations for reentry. If the training is interrupted for more than 3 years, it cannot be continued.

The guidelines of the GLE require a premature dismissal of the candidate, only if a continuation will lead to the damaging of the candidate or one/several group participant(s). The surfacing of psychological diseases in rare cases may require such a decision from the training leadership.

In such a case the candidate will be informed about the situation in individual talks and a cessation will be proposed. If a candidate, after repeated talks which include the training leadership, should not decide to break off the training, the instructors will suspend him or her from further participation for a time, if the situation is unbearable. The instructor team as well as the training group will be asked at the nearest possible time for any objections against the dismissal. The candidate can make his or her objections known personally or through the candidate representative. If there are no substantial objections, the candidate, by the decision of the instructor team, can be kept from a further training in the GLE. The candidate will be informed through a written notice.

RECOGNITION AND CERTIFICATION OF THE TRAINING

The postgraduate training in counseling and psychotherapy is done in basically all countries through private institutions. An authorized certification (title or authorization) by the government is to be requested at the relevant department.

In many countries, psychotherapy is covered through medical insurance. The legitimization to practice the profession can only be granted by the statutes of the respective country. All rights to practice existential analysis and logotherapy underlie the national laws of the concerned country in which the participant works. They are not an object of liability of the GLE or another instructor.

PREPARATION FOR THE TRAINING

It is useful, prior to the training seminars, to acquire knowledge about existential psychotherapy, existential analysis and logotherapy. We particularly recommend the book: FRANK V.E.: Man’s search for meaning.

APPLICATION

To apply for the admission:

1. Send an e-mail indicating

a) either your interest for the introductory seminar to alfried.laengle@existenzanalyse.org

b) or send the application form if you have already decided and want to reserve a training spot. Send it by e-mail or fax or surface mail to alfried.laengle@existenzanalyse.org, +43-1-982 48 45, Alfried Längle, Ed. Suess-Gasse 10, 1150 Vienna, Austria

2. After having shown your definite interest in the training program and sending in the application form you will be informed about the possible dates for the admissions interview. It will take place at Dr. Längle’s next visit in the week of the introductory seminar or before the beginning of the second seminar.

For the introductory seminar the admission interview (and the final decision for the whole training) is not yet needed. Nevertheless this seminar already forms part of the training. It is also good for those who are not yet decided or who want only to improve or refresh their existential knowledge. It provides an overview of existential psychotherapy, an introduction into existential anthropology, existential motivation and existential analytical practice (basic attitudes) and a basic method.

3. After being accepted in the individual admission session the reservation in the group becomes definite by an advanced payment of the first seminar. This is the only advanced payment required to know the exact number of participants at this time; the payment will be balanced at the seminar.

WEEKEND- OR BLOCKFORM

A training course throughout the entire training will either be

a) weekend course (2-4 days a month), or
b) a block course (4-6 days as a block)

INSTRUCTOR TEAM

The instructor team of the GLE-International presently includes about 100 teaching therapists and supervisors.
The leader of the training in the English speaking countries is Alfried Längle, M.D., Ph.D., Vienna.

STUDY PROGRAM (SEMINAR UNITS)

The study program of the theoretical part includes 470 hours. These hours are divided up as follows:

Theory of healthy and psychopathological personality development 100 hours

Methods and Techniques 130 hours

Personality- and encounter theory 150 hours

Psychotherapeutic Literature, (4 hours per 6 day unit) 40 hours

Literature Reviews for Final Paper 50 hours

In all seminars the transmission of knowledge is the starting point for the development of personal opinion, independent reflection, group studies and discussion.

Thus, encounter is a fundamental element of the training. The training itself is an encounter by dialogue with the topic. Due to availability other speakers and partners for discussion will take part in the training events. The following thematic list serves as an overview and will be varied individually in every group.

Weekend of admission: 17 hours group self experience

1. Introduction to existential analysis

What is existential analysis (“EA”) and Logotherapy (“LT”)?, Definitions, life with inner consent, areas of application, the structural model of EA, the correlation of EA with LT

Basic existential theory and the dialogical situation

Beginning and development of EA and LT, History of thematic development of EA and LT: Freud-Adler-Frankl, recent developments, relationship to major schools of psychotherapy; the cultural-historical background of EA and LT

Goals of existential analytical training

The philosophical background of EA and its specific areas of applications

Understanding and explaining in psychotherapy

Psychometric tests

Frankls three dimensional anthropology

What is a “problem” and what is adequate “help”?

Introduction to motivation: definitions; psychodynamic and existential dynamics; basic motivational concepts in different schools of psychotherapy; the depth of motivation.

Literature

2. The existential analytical theory of motivation

The meaning of helping and its motivation

Overview of the theory of motivation

Noodynamics vs. psychodynamics

The four basic motivations of existence and their implications for motivation: overview of the fundamental personal existential motivations (FM)

Literature

3. The First Fundamental Motivation (1. FM): World horizon and personal trust

Being-there as a basic question of existence

The world as an obstacle for motivation; coping reactions because of insecurity; perseverance